News:

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I'm going out on a limb a little bit here, but it seems to me there's a pattern.

2012:

Quote from: The Star

Bertone’s detractors say he has packed the Curia with Italian friends. Some see an attempt to influence the election of the next pope and increase the chances that the papacy returns to Italy

1998:

Quote from: Chiesa

Cardinal Angelo Sodano hinted to these married priests to "make a return to their homeland," i.e. Ukraine, without taking into account that they had always lived there and that what really moved were the borders, in the redrawing of boundaries after World War II. In the Vatican, Cardinals Achille Silvestrini and Edward Cassidy took up their defense, and Sodano cancelled the order.

I'm going out on a limb a little bit here, but it seems to me there's a pattern.

2012:

Quote from: The Star

Bertone’s detractors say he has packed the Curia with Italian friends. Some see an attempt to influence the election of the next pope and increase the chances that the papacy returns to Italy

1998:

Quote from: Chiesa

Cardinal Angelo Sodano hinted to these married priests to "make a return to their homeland," i.e. Ukraine, without taking into account that they had always lived there and that what really moved were the borders, in the redrawing of boundaries after World War II. In the Vatican, Cardinals Achille Silvestrini and Edward Cassidy took up their defense, and Sodano cancelled the order.

Shall we call this "an abundance of Italian patriotism"?

Wherever there are "old boys" there's an "old boy's network". Wherever there's an organization with a hierarchy there are those who try to broker and influence future outcomes--whether it's a religious organization, a Wall St. business, a school district, etc., etc., ad infinitum. So, yeah, there's a pattern.

Not totally related, your comment reminded me of something about Italy and Italians I heard many years ago--hopefully none of the Italians here will take offense. It goes something like this: "Italy is not really a nation; it's much more like a family feud."